Atayal DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · Taiwan · East Asia
The Atayal live in the mountains of northern Taiwan, and they are known for the facial tattoos that once marked adulthood for both men and women, a custom that ended under Japanese colonial rule. Atayalic is one of the primary branches of the Austronesian family. Like the Amis, the Atayal come out at 100.0% Southern Chinese Neolithic farmer in our model, a source from coastal Fujian. The fit (0.0399) is closer than for the Amis (0.0505), but still shows that a long separate history in the mountains of Taiwan is not fully captured. The closest ancient group is particularly close: Iron Age people from Hanben in northeastern Taiwan, at 0.0136, followed by earlier phases of the same site. Among modern averages, a Formosan sample (0.0117) and the Yami of Orchid Island lead, with the Amis at 0.0209 and the Ilocano of northern Luzon at 0.0292, echoing the old links between Taiwan and the Philippines.
- Ancient components in our model: Southern Chinese Neolithic farmers 100.0%
- Closest modern population in our data: Formosan, distance 0.0117
- Closest ancient group in our data: Taiwan IA Hanben, distance 0.0136
Atayal is one of the 335 modern populations in our population genetics atlas. The numbers on this page describe the average Global25 (G25) genome of the Atayal individuals sampled in Taiwan. Like every population average, it smooths over a lot of variation between individuals.
Ancient make-up of the Atayal average
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Atayal average is explained almost entirely by Southern Chinese Neolithic farmers (100.0%). The Southern Chinese Neolithic farmers component reflects the Neolithic rice and millet farmers of southern China, whose descendants spread into Southeast Asia. That does not make the population uniform: the model simply has no finer reference population for this part of the world, and the closest populations below show the detail it cannot.
The fit is acceptable (fit distance 0.040): treat the proportions as a good approximation rather than exact values. This population was modelled with a global set of reference populations (ancient genomes, plus modern stand-ins where no suitable ancient genome exists), because West Eurasian sources alone cannot describe it.
Lapita – Austronesian & Pacific Report
Closest modern populations to Atayal
Genetically, the Atayal average sits nearest to Formosan at 0.012, Yami at 0.017 and Amis at 0.021. On our scale, a distance of 0.012 counts as very close. By the tenth closest (Nias (Gomo)) the distance grows to 0.047, a common pattern for a population that shares ancestry with its neighbours while keeping a profile of its own.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Formosan | 0.0117 | Very close |
| 2 | Yami | 0.0170 | Very close |
| 3 | Amis | 0.0209 | Very close |
| 4 | Ilocano | 0.0292 | Close |
| 5 | Igorot (Kankanaey) | 0.0301 | Close |
| 6 | Igorot | 0.0320 | Close |
| 7 | Filipino (Luzon) | 0.0359 | Close |
| 8 | Filipino | 0.0451 | Close |
| 9 | Dusun (Brunei) | 0.0458 | Close |
| 10 | Nias (Gomo) | 0.0469 | Close |
Distances are Euclidean distances between averaged G25 coordinates. On our scale, below 0.025 is very close, below 0.050 close, below 0.080 moderate, and beyond that distant.
Closest ancient populations to Atayal
Among ancient genomes, the closest match to the modern Atayal average is Taiwan IA Hanben (Iron Age), at 0.014, followed by Taiwan Pre-IA Hanben and Taiwan N Hanben. That is a very close match, which suggests strong genetic continuity between those ancient people (or close relatives of theirs) and the modern population. A close ancient match is not proof of direct descent: it means those individuals carried a similar overall mix of ancestry.
| # | Ancient sample or group | Period | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Taiwan IA Hanben | Iron Age | 0.0136 |
| 2 | Taiwan Pre-IA Hanben | Iron Age | 0.0158 |
| 3 | Taiwan N Hanben | Neolithic | 0.0285 |
| 4 | Taiwan N Gongguan | Neolithic | 0.0372 |
| 5 | China Tanshishan N | Neolithic | 0.0399 |
| 6 | China Xitoucun N | Neolithic | 0.0485 |
| 7 | Malaysia Early Modern | Early Modern, c. 1500-1800 AD | 0.0505 |
| 8 | Liangdao N | Neolithic | 0.0634 |
| 9 | China Liangdao1 N | Neolithic | 0.0681 |
| 10 | China Liangdao2 N | Neolithic | 0.0690 |
Ancient DNA from Taiwan
Our ancient DNA database holds 61 individuals excavated in present-day Taiwan, dated from about 6,250 BC to 715 AD. The most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups among them are O1a (15), O2a (7) and F (2), and the most frequent mtDNA haplogroups are E1 (11), F3 (9) and B4 (7). These are people who lived on the same land in the past, not necessarily ancestors of today's Atayal population.
Most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups
Browse them in our ancient DNA database: 61 from Taiwan.
Compare yourself with Atayal
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Atayal average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Atayal and its neighbours. To find out which of our reports actually fits your DNA, run the free Report Finder: it runs the same fit test that every report uses before an order.
No G25 coordinates yet? Get a free simulated G25 from your raw DNA file, or order G25 coordinates.
About these numbers
A word of caution: these figures describe the average of the Atayal individuals who were sampled, not every person who identifies as Atayal. Individuals vary around that average, and identity is about history, language and family, not about a genetic score. Read this page as a map of deep ancestry, not as a definition.
Method: averaged G25 coordinates, Euclidean distances to other modern and ancient averages, and a non-negative least-squares model against deep ancestral reference populations (data generated 2026-10-01). Read the full method.
Go deeper than the average
This page describes the Atayal average. Your own DNA has its own story: Lapita – Austronesian & Pacific Report (15€) models your genome against the ancient sources and modern communities of the region, era by era, in a personal PDF report.
A report built for people of Austronesian / Indo-Pacific ancestry: ancient regional core (the Taiwan Neolithic homeland, the Lapita culture, Guam Unai and Latte periods, the Medieval voyage to Madagascar) versus non-regional outside...
More populations from East Asia
Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of Atayal?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Atayal average is about 100.0% Southern Chinese Neolithic farmers. These proportions are model estimates for a group average, not exact values for any one person.
Which populations are genetically closest to Atayal?
In the G25 data, the closest modern populations to the Atayal average are Formosan, Yami and Amis. The closest ancient matches are Taiwan IA Hanben, Taiwan Pre-IA Hanben and Taiwan N Hanben.
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Atayal?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Atayal average and to its neighbours. If you have G25 coordinates, paste them in the comparison box on this page to check that for free.
Which ExploreYourDNA report suits Atayal ancestry?
For the Atayal average, the regional report to choose is Lapita – Austronesian & Pacific Report, which our fit test rates as an excellent match. Your own DNA may differ from the average, so the free Report Finder checks every report against your file before you buy.
Where does the data on this page come from?
From the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of the sampled individuals: genetic distances to other modern and ancient population averages, and a non-negative least-squares model against deep ancestral reference populations. The full method is described at https://www.exploreyourdna.com/populations#method.